![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/10-15-12-041.jpg\" "\\"OLYMPUS")
<\/a><\/p>\nWe had a great weekend with our friends Harris and Barbara who treated us a trip down \u201cmemory lane\u201d at their home in Williamsburg as we\u00a0reminisced\u00a0about old times when we were raising our families aboard and enjoying each other\u2019s company so many years ago.\u00a0 It\u2019s ironic that we ended up naming our boat Pandora<\/em> as they too have a boat with the same name\u00a0although\u00a0a somewhat diminutive Pandora<\/em> as it\u2019s a Cape Cod catboat that’s 20′ long.<\/p>\n On Friday morning Brenda and I were lucky to have our new friend Kate lend us a car so we could explore the area so we visited Fort Monroe which was a few miles from Hampton Harbor where Pandor<\/em>a was anchored.\u00a0\u00a0 This fort has been there since the\u00a0Revolution\u00a0and is still actively in use, although now more for residential purposes.\u00a0 The fort is quite large and even has a mote surrounding it. \u00a0 I expect that the viewing tower is a newer addition. \u00a0I can’t see guys with muskets shooting from the top of that. We parked outside and walked in through one of the bridges over the mote and were treated to a stroll back in history as we toured the grounds.\u00a0\u00a0 In New England we are\u00a0accustomed\u00a0to seeing signs stating that \u201cGeorge Washington slept here\u201d but at Fort Monroe we saw this house where Abraham Lincoln slept and did something important. \u00a0I can\u2019t recall what it was but the sign said that it was more than a nap. Ship after ship were lined up, most undergoing refitting.\u00a0 A few were under construction too. \u00a0We even saw a few submarines. \u00a0These guys are buying a lot of grey paint.<\/p>\n There is a stark contrast between the older ships and the newer design. \u00a0The older ones are bristling with stuff.\u00a0 Look at the huge bulb on the front of this baby. \u00a0I wonder if they really think that the tarp will help hide the ship. \u00a0“Quick, quick, get that F*&%#%$ tarp on her. \u00a0There’s a spy plane headed this way.” \u00a0Hmm… This cruise ship docked in the center of Norfolk was just a bit different than the Navy ships. \u00a0 After passing all of these naval ships and the city of Norfolk, we continued down the waterway through a very industrialized area toward our destination for the day, the northern lock at the Dismal Swamp Canal.\u00a0\u00a0 Unfortunately, and I hope not an omen for our trip south, I misread the guidebook and was late for the opening of the Glimerton drawbridge, arriving about 10 minutes late for the opening. \u00a0That made us miss the last opening of the lock.<\/p>\n I liked this new bridge that we went under. \u00a0Not likely to hit the mast on this. However, being late for the lock wasn’t the end of the world as we just anchored in front of the lock and had a lovely dinner of grilled steak filet, salad and home baked, no make that boat baked, bread to celebrate entering the Dismal Swamp and ICW.\u00a0\u00a0 It was particularly nice to toast the beginning of this milestone with some red wine supplied by our friend Rodney from Essex.\u00a0\u00a0 A glass seemed a fitting way to recognize such an important milestone.\u00a0 Rodney had left this particular bottle when he spent some time aboard Pandora earlier in the season.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>There were stately old live oaks\u00a0everywhere\u00a0and lovely paths.\u00a0 It seemed like a very compact community or perhaps a camp ground.\u00a0\u00a0 In the middle of the grounds was a large open field and you could almost imagine solders marching in formation in preparation for battle.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0There was a really interesting museum inside of the main fortification, surrounding the grounds.\u00a0\u00a0 I am not sure what it would be called but the entire fort was ringed with a massive dirt \u201cwall\u201d that included living quarters inside.\u00a0\u00a0 Part of this had been made into museum with samples of what the quarters looked like when the fort was actively protecting Hampton Roads. \u00a0Love these guys standing around in this exhibit. \u00a0I think that they might be taxidermy soldiers from the Revolutionary period. \u00a0 \u00a0Their hair looked at least that old. \u00a0<\/a>All of this old stuff stands in stark contrast to the massive naval presence in Newport News which we passed yesterday on our way south.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>These new ships are a lot less “messy” looking. \u00a0I guess that these are some of the new \u201cstealth warships\u201d if it\u2019s possible to make something that\u2019s 1000\u2019 long not show up on radar.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>We even spied a boat from Norwalk Yacht Club where we were a member for many years. \u00a0Adventure is a big wooden schooner that was in Norfolk participating in a schooner rendezvous. \u00a0 It’s a really great boat. \u00a0I spoke with the owner via the VHF and he told me that he was headed to south to participate in, among other events including the\u00a0Antigua\u00a0antique boat regatta, I think.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n